Our website offers homeowners tips and information on the choosing and application of the garage floor covering products needed to get your new project off the ground. When properly installed or applied, today’s high-quality coverings can make all of the difference in the world between your standard run of the mill cluttered and dreary garage, and a neat, organized garage with a showroom quality floor.

You’ve invested a good deal of your time and money into making your home as organized and free of clutter as possible. But have you looked into the potential possibilities for storage and a workspace in your garage, which possibly may be the largest room in your home? Improving your garage may be the answer that you have been looking for. Read the rest of this entry »

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Reading about garage flooring was probably not at the top of your list of things to read about today. I don’t know why. It’s a subject that men have philosophized about, nations have gone to war over, and future generations will no doubt debate for centuries to come. Seriously though, while garage flooring may be the penultimate topic for some, for most it is something that just escapes their radar completely. Most just don’t think about it at all. At the end of a long work day, most just want to come home, open the garage door, drive in, park the car, go in and relax. It is likely that at some point in every homeowners life there will come a moment when the subject rises to the surface. At that critical, precious juncture nobody’s eternal salvation is on the line, but the future usefulness and enjoyment of your garage does come into focus. With that special moment in mind, I am going to give you some ideas and options about garage flooring that probably won’t alter the course of your life, but will certainly improve the enjoyment of it.

You don’t have to resign yourself to a life of dirty and stained concrete any more. If given the choice between an oil stained concrete floor and stylish tiled or matted garage flooring, what would you prefer? Obviously, the answer has to be the tiled or an otherwise covered floor. While oil has its place and its quite attractive in certain settings (I’m thinking of that magical moonlit night when you and your significant other spill out a little oil or gas on the sidewalk, add a bit of water, and watch in amazement and wonder as the light spectrum comes alive in the petrol paradise), in most it just isn’t a wanted element. We all prefer clean and neat.

As a garage flooring expert, I can tell you that having a messy stained floor is not an inevitable part of owning a garage. There are many options out there that you can purchase to cover the garage floor. Any number of these will simply do away with this most pesky problem. Being able to clean up spills, or even replace flooring completely is a simple solution to one of the biggest complaints people seem to have about their garage flooring.

Garage flooring also doesn’t have to be drab and boring either. I get it that some people really do prefer to just leave things alone. They like gray and have no plans to change a thing. That’s fine. However, for the more adventurous souls out there I want to introduce you to a big bold colorful world of options and textures. Companies like Gladiator make a great line of products that allow you to literally tile your garage floor with any number of different colors and textures. Remember those fun black and white textured floors from the 50’s? Imagine how fun it would be to bring such creativity to your own garage flooring. Blue, black, white, red, and yes, gray, are all there for you to mix and match at will to create a truly customized floor in your garage. These 1′ square tiles interlock and provide a durable and sharp looking surface that can withstand the load placed on them by cars and trucks. They are designed to resist stains that are often found in the garage as a result of spills and mishaps, drips and drops. The nicest thing about this option is that you don’t have to mess around with goops and epoxies or concrete paint. Just install and enjoy. And all without a drop of blood spilt in anger, or an angry word uttered.

This is just one of the great options in garage flooring available. Take a look around to see what you like best, and you will discover many great options to your grease stained concrete floor.

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A good garage floor sealer protects it from road salt, dirt, grime and dust. It also makes it easier to sweep and prevent stains. If you want to paint the floor then it acts as an excellent primer as well. There are some supplies that you will need if tackling this job yourself. You will need a garden hose with a nozzle, a large paint tray, a good paintbrush, a stiff bristled brush and a bucket, a concrete degreaser and cleaner, a long handled paint roller and painters tape.

Your first step in applying the garage floor sealer is to scrub the floor with a commercial concrete cleaner and a degreaser. Then hose it down so there is no cleaner remaining. If there are any areas that are stained then you will need to allow the cleaner to soak for as long as thirty minutes. For areas that have tougher to remove stains, you will need to repeat these steps.

Once it has dried, put the garage floor sealer in your large paint tray. Cut in along the perimeter by brush and then the remainder of the floor is rolled with a paint roller and a medium nap roller is best for this job. Work your way backwards out the garage so you are not trapped in a corner. Do not leave any puddles; however make sure you apply the sealer quite generously. This type of product will stain so make sure you apply it carefully and avoid getting it on other areas.

As the garage floor sealer is drying, it is a good idea to clean your tools with warm soapy water so they do not harden. You do not need to apply a second coat. A floor without a proper sealant will deteriorate quite rapidly because things like road salt and grease and oil can cause damage within a couple of years. Waterproofing is another good piece of preventive maintenance.

A garage floor sealer cannot be applied over top of any other type of coating. If you want to paint the floor then do so after the application of the protective coating because it acts as a primer. Some people like to use a simple grey paint but others prefer brighter colors. One thing to note is that you must make sure product used is suitable to be painted over. Once all the coats are applied, you will have a well-protected floor.
The best garage floor sealer is an acrylic based substance however, there are others that may contain chemicals, which, could be harmful if they have been exposed to your skin or even vapors that are hazardous to inhale. It is best to wear protective clothing such as Kevlar gloves, eye protection and a face mask. Read the label directions carefully. Wait twenty-four hours after applying before painting. Most hardware or home centers offer different types of products to give you what you are looking for at different price levels. Anyone who has a garage or concrete floored workshop should protect it properly.

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For the homeowner who values a clean and organized garage, applying a garage floor epoxy coating is usually the final step in finishing off your entire garage. An epoxy provides a professional look and feel to your floor. It also helps to resist oil stains and it wipes up easily. Any water spilled on the floor will bead up and wipe off easily as well. If you want to hide any imperfections in floor, you can add color chips and custom paint colors to the coating. An antiskid additive will increase the grip on the floor as well.

There is a lot of preparation work required before applying a garage floor epoxy coating. After all the prep work is done, the actual application will seem quite easy. The reason the preparation is difficult and time consuming is that an epoxy will not adhere properly to a surface that is not clean and slightly rough as well. Cracks and holes need to be patched and allowed to set fully before proceeding any further.

Another tip to note is that the concrete floor should be at least two months old and not sealed in order for the epoxy to adhere to the concrete. If you are uncertain whether your floor has, a seal on it then pour a little water on it and it beads then it is sealed. Removing a sealer is done with a chemical stripper, which just adds more work to the job. After the floor is stripped then you can clean it. This is performed with an industrial type cleaner and a machine called a floor maintainer, which you will most likely have to rent. The chemicals can be quite harsh so protective clothing is highly recommended. They are also not particularly environmentally friendly.

As you can see, the preparation of the floor is quite a job. Once all this work is complete, you can begin your application of the epoxy garage floor coating. It is important to choose a day that is dry and between fifty and eighty degrees. Without the perfect conditions, the epoxy can bubble and peel. Once the epoxy and hardener is mixed, you have approximately two hours to apply it. After all this is complete, you still must wait three days before parking your car on it or bringing everything back into the garage.

Most home improvement centers will carry some form of epoxy garage floor coating. Speak to an experienced staff member to find out what is the best product they sell that meets your particular needs. Follow the instructions that come with the product. Failure to follow the instructions could result in the coating not sticking or it could peel as well. Before beginning your project, you should speak to a professional and get some tips on preparing your floor and applying the epoxy. Even though applying some form of coating to your floor will make it look much better, there are many factors involved that could cause problems with the coating. Good luck with applying your epoxy or floor paint.

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